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Classical Music Entertains Students At Sleepytime

Sometimes I come across separate stories which relate to each other in an unusual way. Today, I came across two posts about classical musicians hoping to reach new audiences by entertaining pajama-clad college students and restless toddlers.

On the ColumbiaSpectator.com, Cydney Hedgpeth wrote about late-night concerts by Columbia University’s in-residence string quartet, the Daedalus Quartet. Students are invited to wear pajamas and bring their favorite blankets and pillows to the once-per-semester “Night of the Living Daed” concerts. Their next performance, on February 16 at 10:00 PM, will feature two works – First String Quartet by Columbia faculty member Fred Lerdahl and a clarinet quintet by Mozart. Daedalus hopes these performances will appeal to students unfamiliar with classical music According to quartet member Ara Gregorian:

This is an opportunity that we can create for Columbia students to have at a time when a concert would normally be happening… It’s our role as performers to make people know that this kind of music is perfectly accessible to them.

I came across the other interesting post on Times-Series.co.uk. Josh Darlington wrote about concert pianist Haley Elton’s February 15 visit to the Norfolk Lodge Montessori Nursery in Potters Bar, England. Elton is touring nurseries to promote her Sleep Baby Sleep CD, which she claims will aid sleep in young babies and toddlers. Elton states that:

It’s been a dream of mine to introduce very young people to music as early as possible in their lives. These events will also be a real eye-opener for parents who will see the tremendous benefits of introducing their children to musicmaking at such an early age.